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Editorial

Meet the Top 10 Richest Indians!

A recent report from Forbes showed that the total number of billionaires in India rose to a record 166 in the financial year 2021-22 (FY22). The combined net worth of these billionaires grew 26% to 750 billion! Their business empires have played a significant role in the economic growth of our nation. In this article, meet the top 10 richest Indians!

Gautam Adani

Gautam Adani, chairman of the Adani Group, has a net worth of $122.3 Billion (~Rs 9.31 lakh crore). With a meteoric rise in shares of group firms, Adani’s wealth grew by Rs 6,000 crore every week over the past year! He is currently the sixth richest person in the world!

The Adani Group has interests in the infrastructure, logistics, power generation & transmission, and real estate sectors via Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports, Adani Green Energy, Adani Transmission, and other group firms. The group also operates some of the major airports in our country. Adani has announced plans to become the world’s largest producer of green energy. They will invest up to $20 billion in renewable energy projects over the next decade.

Mukesh Ambani

Mukesh Ambani is the chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), India’s largest company. RIL’s subsidiaries are involved mainly in petrochemicals, oil & gas, telecom (Jio Platforms), and retail (Reliance Retail). Reliance is also pivoting into green energy. The company aims to invest $80 billion over the next 10-15 years in renewable energy.

With a net worth of $98 Billion (~Rs 7.46 lakh crore), Ambani is the 10th richest person in the world!

Shiv Nadar

Shiv Nadar co-founded HCL Technologies, one of India’s largest IT companies. He is also known for his philanthropic activities. In July 2020, Nadar stepped down as chairman of HCL Technologies, handing over the position to his daughter, Roshni Nadar Malhotra. He is currently the Chairman Emeritus and strategic advisor of HCL Tech.

Shiv Nadar’s net worth stands at $28 Billion (~Rs 2.12 lakh crore). 

Cyrus Poonawalla

Also known as the ‘Vaccine King’, Cyrus Poonawalla is the world’s richest billionaire in the healthcare industry. His company, Serum Institute of India (SII), manufactured the Covishield vaccine last year. SII produces over 1.5 billion doses of vaccines per annum, including those for measles, polio, and flu. Poonawalla’s assets include a majority stake in listed financial services firm Poonawalla Fincorp.

Cyrus Poonawalla’s net worth stands at $26 Billion (~Rs 1.98 lakh crore).

Radhakishan Damani

Veteran investor and founder of Avenue Supermarts (popularly known as DMart), Radhakishan Damani has a net worth of $20 Billion (Rs 1.52 lakh crore). His company operates over 250 DMart stores across India. Also known as the ‘Retail King’, Damani holds stakes in VST Industries, India Cements, and Tata Trent.

Savitri Jindal & Family

The Jindal Group is chaired by Savitri Jindal, widow of founder Om Prakash Jindal. Their four sons run the business empire now. The conglomerate has interests in mining, power, industrial gases, cement, and steel manufacturing. The group’s listed firms include Jindal Steel & Power, Jindal Steel, JSW Steel, and JSW Energy.

Savitri Jindal and her family have a net worth of nearly $20 Billion (~1.52 lakh crore).

Lakshmi Mittal

Lakshmi Mittal serves as the executive chairman of ArcelorMittal, one of the world’s largest steel and mining companies in terms of output. The company operates steel manufacturing units in 17 countries. Even though he is based out of London, Mittal holds an Indian passport. His net worth stands at $18 Billion (~Rs 1.37 lakh crore).

Kumar Mangalam Birla & Family

Kumar Birla is the fourth generation head of the Aditya Birla Group. The group companies include UltraTech Cement, Hindalco, Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail, Aditya Birla Capital, and even the failed Idea Cellular. Birla’s net worth stands at $17 Billion (Rs 1.29 lakh crore).

Dilip Shanghvi 

Dilip Shanghvi founded Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, one of India’s most valuable pharma companies having significant sales across the world. He grew Sun Pharma through a series of acquisitions, including the 2014 purchase of rival Ranbaxy Laboratories for $4 billion. He has personally invested in renewable energy and oil & gas projects. His net worth stands at $16.2 Billion (~Rs 1.23 crore).

Uday Kotak

Uday Kotak is the executive vice-chairman and managing director of Kotak Mahindra Bank. His company is now among India’s top four banks in the private sector. The company offers banking products and financial services for corporate and retail customers in the areas of personal finance, investment banking, life insurance, and wealth management. Kotak’s net worth stands at $14.7 Billion (Rs 1.12 lakh crore).

Source: Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List (as of 13/4/2022)

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Editorial

Can the Rally Continue in Adani Ports?

Adani Group is one of the biggest corporate groups in India. If you are an active trader or an investor in the market, you would have thought about investing in at least one of Adani’s companies. And why not? The rise of Adani Group over the years is historic and a revolutionary story itself. We are well aware of Reliance and Tata companies, now it’s time to respect the beloved Adani Group and learn what it’s one of the biggest has to offer. Today, we dig deeper into Gautam Adani’s crown jewel company, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited.

About APSEZ

This entity was established on 26 May 1998. In the last 22 years, it has shown exceptional growth to become India’s largest private port and Special Economic Zone operator. The company has been listed on NSE and BSE since 27th November 2007. APSEZ is responsible for almost 25% of the total cargo movement in the country. 

They provide services across three verticals, i.e. Ports, Logistics and Special Economic Zones (SEZs). You would wonder how they cater the logistics? This happens with the aid of its subsidiary Adani Logistics Limited. This is the benefit of having several companies under one umbrella.

APSEZ currently operates at 11 domestic ports. From the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea, Adani Ports are spread everywhere. The highest number of ports (4) are present in Gujarat. Other ports are present in states like Tamil Nadu (2), Goa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. In totality, Adani Ports & SEZ offers over 400 MMTPA (Million Metric Tonne Per Annum) capacity. It is paired with over 4 Lakh square feet of warehousing.

Out of the 11 ports, Mundra Port which is in Gujarat is India’s largest commercial port. Here the company offers you Bulk & Break Bulk, Liquid Cargo, Container Cargo, LPG/LNG Cargo and Crude – Single Point Mooring. This Mundra Economic Hub is the largest multi-product SEZ, Free Trade and Warehousing Zone (FTWZ) and Domestic Industrial Zone which spreads over 8,000 hectares. 

Remarkable Recovery in the Market

Weekly Chart of Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone
  • Due to Covid-19 pandemic, the share price of APSEZ fell to the 52-week low of Rs 203 on 23rd March 2020.
  • In less than 11 months, the stock has attained its all-time high of Rs 594.
  • The image below shows the weekly chart of Adani Ports. Since the last many weeks, the stock is making a new all-time high.
  • The curved yellow line shows the journey of the stock over the last 11 months.
  • The promoters of Adani Ports hold more than 60% of the total stake in the company. But, most of the shares of the promoters’ are pledged shares. Pledging of shares means that the investors have taken a loan by submitting shares. Generally, this is considered as a negative signal for retail shareholders like you and me. 
  • A few weeks back, the management of the company stated that soon they will be paying their debt and freeing up almost all of their shares. Investors did not have many red flags before investing in Adani Ports. And, this commentary further increased the positive sentiments within the investors.
  • Adani Ports have expanded their business even during the pandemic. They have added five new container services; two at Mundra, two services at Hazira, and one at Kattupalli.

Positive Results Keep Flowing In

Consolidated net profit rose by 16% at Rs 1,577 crore on YoY (Year-on-Year) basis for the December quarter. The net profits by the end of the last quarter were Rs 1393 crore. Total revenue increased by over 10% YoY and by 25% when compared to the previous quarter. Revenue and profits for nine-month ending FY21 are more than what was recorded till December 2019. Thus, telling that even after Covid-19 lockdown, the company has performed exceptionally well to beat its previous years’ performance.

This success is based on many key pointers. One of those is a 37% rise in cargo volume as compared to the same quarter last year. This has helped the company to increase its market share from 25% to 28%. All India Cargo volume grew by only 5% from Q3FY20 to Q3FY21. But APSEZ’s cargo volume increased by a stunning 37% during the same period. The port of Mundra has alone recorded a growth of 25% during the third quarter. This shows how dominating performance the company has been able to put in.

(Source:Company Website)

“The strong and lasting recovery at APSEZ has been the cornerstone of our journey in the recent past. It’s a proven certitude that our business now operates closer to a pure-play utility. Our portfolio of assets, increasing market share in India, and pre-eminence of our network with leadership positions have an unparalleled value proposition.” – Karan Adani, Chief Executive Officer and Whole Time Director of APSEZ.

APSEZ ranked 14th globally out of 102 companies in the transportation and transportation infrastructure sector by Dow Jones Sustainability Emerging Markets Index. In fact, they have the highest EBITDA margin (70%) globally. 

Conclusion

The success of APSEZ tells us about their journey from a single port single commodity to an integrated logistics platform. The company aims to keep its EBITDA margin from ports above 71%. The Indian government also has the vision to manufacture and produce more in the coming years. They not only aim to be self-reliant but also become a net exporter. All of these things have benefitted Adani Ports and will keep on doing so in the future.

(Source)

Their revenue has grown at a yearly rate of 15% in the last five years. This is more than 13.5% which is the industry average. Its median sales growth is 27.38% of the last 10 years. A company which is outperforming its own industry shows the positive work put in by them. APSEZ looks like an interesting bet for sure. The way they conduct their business and the opportunities in the future both tells that Adani Ports might have a long way to go. With all the interesting upcoming projects, strong revenue growth, high margins for profits and government support, Adani Ports will surely reach greater highs.

You can find the company’s third-quarter results here. What are your opinions on Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited? Let us know in the comments section!